Stone the Crows - Maggie Bell & Co

A raucous hubbub could be heard even before turning the key in the front door this morning, and needing investigation. Another grey day of overcast sky, some signs of frost but little wind making for a reasonably comfortable temperature.

The noise was getting louder as I approached the cemetery where c31 Carrion Crows were congregated in a single tree. While not considered to be a gregarious species, it used to be a 'rule of thumb' that if there were one or 2 large black birds they would be Crows, otherwise they were Rooks. Now it is not unusual to see this number and more on Weymouth Beach while the Bill is now infested with them.

This is the largest count I have ever made here and feel sure if a wander had been taken to the other side of the graveyard

the count would have increased?

Not at all a pleasant sight to start the day, the passing of a Leviathan, as one of the ornamental Redwoods has been chopped down. The intent was to approach the Council workers to find out WHY, but that was unnecessary taking one look at the rotting heart of the trunk.

We are not short of large trees here, affording great cover and feed to a multitude of bird and insect life,

nonetheless it is sad to loose one.

My particular favourite is this tall Monkey Puzzle Tree despite it having been daubed in blue paint by some mindless vandal. All else amounted to an unknown number of Redwings which haven't been here for too long now - the first record for February.

Radipole too had little on offer except c3 Long-tailed Tits

always a delight to watch, along with a Reed Bunting, several vocal Water Rail & Cetti's Warbler, c8 Black-tailed Godwit plus singles of Mediterranean Gull and Grey Wagtail.

Walking the harbour-side to catch the Portland bus, this Little Grebe photographed from the Town Bridge was seen to be best way to 'summer plumage' but that was all.

It was distinctly cooler at the Bill as the full force of the north easterly breeze was felt, and this extremely long distance shot was more out of desperation than anything else.

The saving grace was once again the pair of Little Owls in the Observatory Quarry

where one obliged

with a half pirouette

showing it's spotted wings and back

while the other kept a much lower profile among the boulders and vegetation.

and finally, the date has been set for my departure which will be a week tomorrow Tuesday 21st February 2012. As previously mentioned the trip will be through a number of countries and hopefully will end in Sydney, Australia on a still undetermined date. I hope you all 'tune in' and THANKS!

Slàinte Mhath - Marillion

A bit of a grey start to the day, brightening as the day wore on, but it was mild enough and dry so a good day to return to Lyme Regis. There have been no reports of the Spotted Sandpiper in recent days, but thinking the town is under-watched as a birding site, that doesn't mean it is no longer in residence. Given the X53 passes close to my house and the journey is 'free' what better way to spend a winter Sunday?

From the lofty perch of the upper-deck dozens of Pheasants and Rabbits were seen, with one of the latter makings a substantial breakfast for a Common Buzzard.

Approaching the tiny village of Burton Bradstock to seaward a couple of Racing Gigs were spotted seemingly well out in Lyme Bay. At Lyme Regis it took no time at all to find a single

Purple Sandpiper, a good omen as the

Spotted Sandpiper was associating with them

on my last visit in January. Unfortunately, this was the only Wader found, but the was another chance to view the

Gig Rebel crewed by the Ladies Team and

Gig Revenge propelled by the Men's Team. What was amazing, they had arrived there about the same time as the bus which understandable had covered more distance and made a few stops, but nonetheless the rowers must have covered about 9 miles, seems they're shaping up quite nicely.

Quite a time was spent searching among the rocks and groynes of the eastern seashore, but it was now time to head in a different direction. A wander along the course of the River Lim in search of the Dipper (s) was also fruitless

but this Grey Wagtail reveled its presence on 'call' flying from the grass verge

to feed along the riverbed

where it looked far more at home.

A second bird was heard but not seen.

The luck had to come good sooner or later and did when this Great White Egret was found, easily identified as not being on the Year List thus far! However, there was some concern about the Goldfish which I can only think are being released by the locals.

The last bird to be seen here was totally expected but its location was a little unusual as Rock Pipits, in my experience, rarely move far from the seashore.

This one had obviously found rich pickings on the upper window ledge of the Lloyd's Bank Building in the heart of the town, pecking away at the moss growing there.

Time for a quick look at the Landslips above the rooftops before catching the return bus.

On that journey lots (probably as many as 300) Lapwing had started gathering in a number of fields we passed by,

with a Curlew also present in one of them.

Arriving at home this insect was awaiting me, which may well be a Cluster Fly but I'm well out of my depth with Diptera.

The Spotted Sandpiper is a very rare visitor to Dorset and the rest of the UK for that matter, so quiet surprising there should be 'another' at Mudeford near Christchurch the other side of the county. There was of course some thought that it may be the same bird having moved location, but that was disproved on closer inspection. The Lyme Regis individual (above) has the left toe of its left foot missing while, I am told, the Mudeford bird is intact.

and finally, it's pork fillet with roast vegetables for dinner, along with a bottle of 2009 Stellenbosch Shiraz, a very nice gift from the Secret Lemonade Drinker. Having removed the cork before leaving home this morning and half an hour by the heater (there will be those surprised to hear I have it switched on) just to attain room temperature, the bottle has already been broached by way of an aperitif. I can report a unctuous, fruity red with light tannins and taking the first sip raise the glass to Gary, Jane, Lizzy and Robert (now safely in the Big Apple)

Slainte Mhath

Give Me A Ticket For An Aeroplane - The Box Tops

As announced yesterday the next adventure will begin in South Korea a great place to start but there is an ulterior motive,

THIS

↓

The highly charismatic Relict Gull Larus relictus has a small, declining population, breeding very locally on steppe lakes in Mongolia and adjacent parts of Kazakhstan, Russia, and China. Once thought to be an eastern form of Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus, Relict Gulls are highly susceptible to disturbance and predation on the breeding colonies, and threatened by wetland developments in their non-breeding range: the population is put at between 2,500 and 10,000 and is listed as Vulnerable in the BirdLife International Red Data Book. Very small numbers are known to overwinter in South Korea.

Of the 54 Gulls in the world holding Full Species Status, this is the last one I need to see to complete the set. A long way to go to see a shite-hawk I hear you say, but there will be a lot more to the trip than simply that. If one is seen it would undoubtedly be the highlight of what may include 5 countries (minimum) on an undecided time scale which will be months rather than weeks long. All of this has kept me at home today, despite almost unbroken sunshine throughout, searching the Internet for flights, thumbing through the Birds of East Asia Field Guide and knocking up an endless list of things to do.

Always a great favourite wherever I go The Fish Market very extensive here.

On the strength of all this, I will have to rely on a few photographs from my last trip in 2007. Every one of the 14 full days in the country will be given over to searching for Relict Gull until one is found, but of course there should be much else to report on the way.

First port of call (literally) will be the Incheon Ferry Terminal which runs from the city to the island on which the airport is located. Here there should be extensive mud flats, perfect for these Gulls, if they haven't turned them into a Container Base or some such thing.

Incheon Map

The slipway on the island side is itself a great catchment for various Gulls so I might even save myself a walk?

It will also be interesting to see this bridge completed,

which I seem to remember was up there with the longest suspension structures in the world.

and one or two more probabilities from the Bird World

Harlequin Duck

Brown-eared Bulbul

Oriental Turtle Dove

Glaucous-winged Gull

Black-eared Kite

Yellow-throated Bunting

The Shape of Things to Come - Ramones

Overnight the wind had veered into the south bringing with it a far warmer feel to the day, but on the down side continuous light rain. It will take much more than this to deter me from venturing forth and by 08:00 the cemetery was far behind me.

Not a trace of frost or ice at Radipole. and with the sluices remaining open the water level was diminishing encouraging Common Snipe, 36 in all, to venture out to feed in the open.

The big surprise was the arrival of a Common Sandpiper which regularly over winter in the county but remain pretty much static in their chosen location (such as Holes Bay, Poole Harbour) making it likely that this was an early migrant?

On the way to Portland, a male Mallard was seen at Ferry Bridge, the first for the Island this year, but as it was high water nothing more than a couple of waterborne Brent Geese. An illuminating hour at the Bird Observatory not only allowed me a loan look along the Book Shop shelves but a chance to appraise 'The Birds of East Asia' at my leisure.

In Southwell the Crocus were bloomin, albeit a little hampered by the weather, but the rain continued and by mid-day the wind was again seeking the east making it cold, good job then that I had a lunch date with

Maggie & John Gifford plus Lesley, to my right, which we took at The Spy Glass pub at Overcoombe close to Weymouth. Good food, great company and if the words herein are a little slurred, a good drink.

Global Warming is always a good topic, for which I don't have too much time, but with happenings locally who knows. Reports on this site of Carrion Crow and Long-tailed Tit carrying nesting material during the month of January, then maybe the next couple of reports will not surprise. Terry Coombs tells me that Blackbirds are sitting on eggs, 4 to be precise, while in Dorchester

a pair of Tawny Owls have already hatched 3 young while one more egg is yet to bare fruit.

All photographs on today's post are from the archive for illustration.